We have friends living in The Villages too. It's definitely all brand-new and not anything like "old Florida". If you play golf or like lots of organized activities it's like summer camp for seniors. A huge gated community with all sorts of rules about what you can and can't grow, can't park a truck in the driveway, can't paint your mailbox anything but white . . you get the drift.
I couldn't possibly live there, it gives me the creeps even just staying over night with them for a visit.